biography

Cellist Christopher Glansdorp began studies in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in 1975. After receiving performance degrees from the Eastman School of Music and the University of Akron, he joined the New World Symphony in Miami Beach, Florida. As co-principal cellist for three years Chris performed on their tours of Japan and the United Kingdom and their first three CD releases.

Currently in his 13th season as Principal Cello with the Palm Beach Opera Orchestra, Chris maintains an active schedule performing with the Boca Raton Symphonia, the Atlantic Classical Orchestra, and is a substitute with the Naples Philharmonic Orchestra and Southwest Florida Symphony. Chris has performed with the Akron Symphony, the Des Moines Metro Opera, the Florida Philharmonic Orchestra, Palm Beach Symphony, Florida Grand Opera, and in local stops of Broadway touring productions including The Lion King, The Producers, Beauty and the Beast, Showboat, and more.

A prolific studio musician, Chris is active in South Florida’s recording industry and is a member of The Recording Academy. He can be heard in the string section on albums including those of Busta Rhymes, Barbra Streisand & Barry Gibb, Natalie Cole, Julio Iglesias, Placido Domingo, Michael Jackson, and Gloria Estefan, with solo credits on recordings of Shakira, Cristian Castro, Clay Aiken, Juan Luis Guerra, the 2000 & 2001 Latin Grammy Record of the Year winners Alejandro Sanz and La Ley. Chris is a featured guest artist on the 2007 Latin Grammy winner Ricky Martin: MTV Unplugged, playing four songs with string quartet and three songs as solo cellist.

Chris plays a cello made by Nicklaus Simoutre, Mirecourt, France 1829. The cello was restored in 1999 by luthier William Fleischer, Miami, and is currently strung with medium tension Larsen Magnacore strings.

Chris' 5-string electric cello was custom built to the same physical dimensions as his acoustic cello by Eric Jensen of Jensen Musical Instruments, Seattle, Washington. It is made of cocobolo and ebony and is fitted with a Series 2000 Roland GK compatible polyphonic pickup.